Camrose is a city of over 18,000 people located 100 kilometres southeast of Edmonton in Alberta. It’s known for its thriving economy, beautiful setting, and quality of life. Camrose embraces its rural roots while also serving a shopping population of over 150,000 people, who visit the city for its health care, professional services, shopping, and entertainment.
Poised for growth and rife with potential
It’s a great place to live, work, and invest in. The Camrose-Drumheller Region boasts the lowest unemployment rate in all of Alberta, and it’s easy to see why. Camrose’s local economy values creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation, and protects itself through smart diversification.
The city’s agricultural industry is highly innovative. Local businesses continually find new ways to derive more value from the high-producing crops surrounding Camrose. This strategy — known as value-added agriculture — is all about taking raw commodities and transforming them into higher-value outputs.
Successful value-added agricultural industries from the region include Viterra, Cargill Crush Plant, Sunny Boy Foods, and Battle River Brewery. Storing, shipping, milling, processing, and even brewing the crops’ bounty to meet end consumers’ specifications helps the region to thrive economically, to continually innovate, and to employ a robust and growing workforce.
Companies that are looking for innovative ways to add value to agricultural inputs need teams that understand the product.
Patricia MacQuarrie, Manager of Economic Development and Communications for the City of Camrose
A great place to do business
This innovative culture makes Camrose a land of opportunity for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and startups.
“Our Council understands the challenges for small- and medium-sized businesses and, as such, hasn’t implemented a machine and equipment tax or a business tax locally,” says Patricia MacQuarrie, the City of Camrose’s Manager of Economic Development and Communications. “This saves businesses a lot of money and, coupled with the low building and development costs, makes our business environment extremely competitive.”
The agricultural industry’s business prospects are vast. “We have opportunities in plant-based proteins, pulse products, and feedstock innovation,” says MacQuarrie. “We also have the base product to support innovation in beauty and health care products and textiles, and to capitalize on opportunities in the hemp industry.”
Camrose also has the experience and knowledge base for startups to build on. “We have a knowledgeable workforce that grew up on family farms,” says MacQuarrie. “Companies that are looking for innovative ways to add value to agricultural inputs need teams that understand the product.”
A great place to call home
Camrose has a lot to offer. MoneySense named it the third-best place to live in Alberta and the 11th-best place in Canada based on its low unemployment rate, high median household income, low crime rate, and more.
“Our quality of life is amazing,” says MacQuarrie. “Our recreation and entertainment venues are incredible, you can drive anywhere in 10 minutes, our class sizes are small, and we have a local campus of the University of Alberta supplying job-ready graduates to the local workforce.”
The city is home to the longest-running country music festival in the country, Big Valley Jamboree, which attracts 20,000 people annually. It also has an airport and a world-class hospital. Residents can enjoy big-city facilities while also appreciating a rural lifestyle.
Everyone can thrive in Camrose — families, young professionals, seniors, and businesses alike.
